The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to ostomy ports and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a disposable ostomy cap for use with ostomy ports and/or other parts, such as an ostomy bag or a whole port.
Following a stoma operation, an ostomy port may be inserted through the stoma for controlling discharge of waste content through the stoma. An ostomy bag may be attached to a proximal opening in the port into which the waste content is discharged. The bag may require replacing several times a day according to an amount of waste content accumulating in the bag.
As an alternative to having a bag attached at all times to the port, some ports are configured to be sealed by a cap at the proximal opening. In these ports, the waste content does not flow out the proximal opening until the cap is removed. Rather, the waste content accumulates inside the port until released by a user. Generally, the user of the ostomy port first attaches an ostomy bag or some other waste collection element to the port and only then removes the cap to allow waste content discharge into the bag.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,390 von Dyck describes “a continent ostomy port device has a face plate defining an aperture alignable with the opening of a stoma in the user's body and a closure adjacent to the aperture is adapted to permit covering and uncovering of the aperture in the face plate. A catheter extends from one side of the face plate proximally, and one end of the catheter is disposed within the ostomy site when the port device is in use. The catheter has continuous exterior and interior side walls, the latter defining a major lumen and is sized and shaped for non-surgical insertion through a stoma to a sufficient distance that the presence of the catheter within the stoma provides a barrier which reduces the incidence of prolapse, without the use of extraneous, externally applied materials or additional surgery. A removable cartridge fits snugly and slideably within the major lumen of the catheter of the device so as to prevent inadvertent escape of body waste material from the stoma when the cartridge is in place, without use of an ostomy bag, and to clean the interior side wall of the catheter as the cartridge is pressed into the major lumen. An anti-reflux valve is activated to prevent escape of body waste and deactivated for passage of fluid. Retaining structure is connected to the catheter, and is non-surgically, snugly fittable into the stoma, to cause the port device to be self-retaining in a normal use position within a stoma, without surgery or fixation materials”.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,982 to Wheeler is described “A concealed colostomy apparatus comprising a sleeve insertable into the bowel via a discharge opening thereof for retention therein, the sleeve then having a discharge end; a cap removably interfitting the discharge end of the sleeve; and a flexible pouch received in collapsed position into the sleeve to in turn receive feces from the bowel, the cap being removable to allow distending of the pouch outside the sleeve and continued filling of fecal matter into the pouch.”
Additional background art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,121,589; 4,338,937; 4,634,421; 4,721,508; 4,381,765; and 4,662,890.